Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: You can't "trust" Rahm's Infrastructure Trust

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: You can't "trust" Rahm's Infrastructure Trust:

You can't "trust" Rahm's Infrastructure Trust

by Mike Klonsky

More arrests this afternoon at the Chicago Health Dept. as protests continue over the mayor's closing of half the city's mental health clinics.  Word is that another patient just died, allegedly due, directly or indirectly to the closing of their clinic. Some patients, with few means of transportation, have to travel 10 miles or more across town to get treatment.

In what's proving to be one of the biggest lies ever told by a politician, Rahm and the Dept. of Health bureaucrats continue to claim that closing neighborhood health clinics is "good for patients" and that "every City client has a personalized transition plan and is being monitored closely..."

Side note: AFT Prez. Randi Weingarten, came to Chicago a few weeks ago to march with 8,000 teachers and gave a fine speech at the giant CTU support rally.  As readers might recall, I gave her her props for that. However, she was back in town again last week speaking on a panel at Clinton's Global Initiative and in support of Rahm's opaque "Infrastructure Trust" (one of the great misuses of the word Trust, ever), which will supposedly bring thousands of jobs to the city.  What it will more likely do is line the pockets of a handful of Rahm's 

Jersey Jazzman: "Reform" Is an Excuse For Poverty

Jersey Jazzman: "Reform" Is an Excuse For Poverty:

"Reform" Is an Excuse For Poverty

by Duke

Over at Matt DiCarlo's place, Clifford Janey, the former superintendent of Newark's and DC's schools, makes too much sense:

Not until leaders from all sides of the issue consider these conditions and connect changes in social policy to those in education policy will gains in student achievement become a reliable reference point of college/work readiness. What is compelling about the intersection of social and education policy is not the need for it as the third leg of the new reform stool, but the lack of sensibility to embrace it. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (Volume 24, Number 3S) found that the lack of affordable housing in poor urban communities can contribute to family instability, impair individual psychological wellbeing and weaken protection against communicable diseases. How can undernourished children in unstable families, who are routinely moving four or five times in a school year, avoid the cycle of vulnerability that continues to foreshadow academic failure? Let’s be clear, even the best of teachers with support from accomplished school leaders would be challenged to reverse this educational 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-12-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

A Big Education Ape Nite Cap

CLASSIFIED BANANA PICKERS OF NORTH AMERICA ON STRIKE

IN SOLIDARITY WITH

OMG (literally) Evangelist Luis Palau pokes fun at Mayor Johnson for Marrying Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 54 minutes ago

The Modesto Bee | City Beat: Evangelist Luis Palau pokes fun at Mayor Johnson - and gets away with it: Posted on Tue, Jun. 12, 2012 Evangelist Luis Palau pokes fun at Mayor Johnson - and gets away with itCity Beat: Evangelist Luis Palau pokes fun at Mayor Johnson - and gets away with itBy Ryan Lillisrlillis@sacbee.com last updated: June 12, 2012 02:05:58 PM [image: Evangelist Luis Palau addresses members of Bayside Church in Roseville on Sunday. The nationally known religious broadcaster announced that the largest regionwide spiritual revival in nearly two decades would be held ... more »

Medgar Evers died on this day in 1963. - Facts, Birthday, Life Story - Biography.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Medgar Evers Biography - Facts, Birthday, Life Story - Biography.com: - Home - • - People - • Medgar Evers Medgar Evers - Mini Biowatch more videos (1) QUICK FACTS - NAME: Medgar Wiley Evers - OCCUPATION: Civil Rights Activist - BIRTH DATE: July 02, 1925 - DEATH DATE: June 12, 1963 - EDUCATION: Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College - PLACE OF BIRTH: Decatur, Mississippi - PLACE OF DEATH: Jackson, Mississippi BEST KNOWN FOR Medgar Evers was a civil rights activist who organized voter-registration efforts, demonstrations, and boycotts of... more »

Outsourcing educational services: financialization and fighting back by unions | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Outsourcing educational services: financialization and fighting back by unions | Dailycensored.com: Outsourcing educational services: financialization and fighting back by unions by Danny Weil *by Juan Garcia, a rank-and-file member of CUE-Teamsters Local 2010 and member of New Direction, a reform movement inside of CUE-Teamsters* I’m sure UCB is a testing ground for this model and I know other UCs and education institutes are using “cost-savings” centers as a guise to impose worse working-conditions for it’s staff at the expense of lower quality services to students, faculty and... more »

It’s Good Work, if you can get it: How Paul Vallas “won” a $1 million contract - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

It’s Good Work, if you can get it: How Paul Vallas “won” a $1 million contract - Wait, What?: It’s Good Work, if you can get it: How Paul Vallas “won” a $1 million contract by jonpelto *Who said competitive bidding doesn’t work* Pryor, Vallas, Adamowski and the other “education reformers’ appear to have a proclivity to by-pass the competitive bidding requirements or the need to get a group of the impacted people together to review alternative vendors and products. And yet, when the need arises, that old adage kicks in – “Where there’s a will there’s a way.” *Take the following cas... more »

Hechinger Report | Promise of the ‘flipped classroom’ eludes poorer school districts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Hechinger Report | Promise of the ‘flipped classroom’ eludes poorer school districts: Promise of the ‘flipped classroom’ eludes poorer school districts by Sarah Butrymowicz Jasmine Redeaux (left) and Nakesha Wilkerson team up to finish a worksheet in a "flipped" chemistry class at their Macon, Ga., high school, while other classmates work on a lab. (Photo by Sarah Butrymowicz) When Portland, Ore., elementary school teacher Sacha Luria decided last fall to try out a new education strategy called “flipping the classroom,” she faced a big obstacle. Flipped classrooms use technology—o... more »

Geaux Teacher!: SEEING OUTSIDE THE BOX!!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Geaux Teacher!: SEEING OUTSIDE THE BOX!!: SEEING OUTSIDE THE BOX!! by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) An article from Colorlines Magazine. href="http://colorlines.com">http://colorlines.com/ * Bobby Jindal, Using ALEC Playbook, Radically Reshapes Public Education* by Julianne Hing Gov. Bobby Jindal has remade the Louisiana public schools system with impressive speed over the past legislative session. Last week, he signed into law a suite of landmark reform bills that will likely change the direction of public education in Louisiana forever. But not all change is ... more »

The Assessment Gap in Career and College Readiness — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

The Assessment Gap in Career and College Readiness — Whole Child Education: [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]The Assessment Gap in Career and College Readiness June 12, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers *Post written by Douglas B. Reeves, founder of the Leadership and Learning Center in Salem, Mass., and author of ASCD books on educational leadership. Connect with Reeves by e-mail atDReeves@LeadAndLearn.com. This post was originally featured in *ASCD Express*.* What does "college and career readiness" mean? The Common Core State Standards suggest some clear and reasonable criteria.... more »

Gates changes Galvanic bracelet grant description - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Gates changes Galvanic bracelet grant description - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Gates changes Galvanic bracelet grant description By Valerie Strauss Yesterday, I wrote about $1.1 million in grants that Bill Gates’s foundation made to develop bracelets that could measure how engaged students were in class. Today, the foundation said that one of the descriptions of the grants that I included in my post was actually wrong on its Web site and that it is fixing it. A foundation spokesman said that the purpose of the $498,055 grant to Clemson University — which was awarded ... more »

Mr. and Mrs Gates, Please Read This « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Mr. and Mrs Gates, Please Read This « Diane Ravitch's blog: Mr. and Mrs Gates, Please Read This by dianerav I received the following comment from a third-grade teacher. She is trying her best but federal and state officials keep interfering with her ability to teach. You will note that she writes acronym after acronym of big programs, big ideas that officials keep dumping on her. As I read her comment, my heart went out to her. She became a teacher because she wants to teach. The bureaucrats and the experts have decided that data matters most, and she is drowning in data, data asse... more »

PSAT for 6-12-12: Tend your garden Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 6-12-12: Tend your garden: PSAT for 6-12-12: Tend your garden by admin Students in Shamrock school garden - photo by Pamela Grundy As we sit back and reflect on the powerful message the Chicago Teachers’ Union sent to Mayor Rahm yesterday, it seems like a good time to muse about where we go from here. The CTU has some great ideas in their “The Schools Chicago’s Students Deserve” report. Today I’d like to add to that approach by passing on a beautiful article by our Charlotte, NC, Parents Across America member, Pamela... more »

And Now There are Nine: Pinellas School Board Passes Resolution Against High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

And Now There are Nine: Pinellas School Board Passes Resolution Against High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings: And Now There are Nine: Pinellas School Board Passes Resolution Against High-Stakes Testing by Bob Sikes From Cara Fitzpatrick writing in GRADEBOOK: The Pinellas County School Board passed an anti-testing resolution after a lengthy discussion Tuesday. The board voted 6-1 in favor of the resolution, with board member Glenton Gilzean dissenting. All but Gilzean praised the resolution as a long-awaited message to the state. Linda Lerner said she’d been waiting years f... more »

Hypocrisy in the Profession of Education « My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Hypocrisy in the Profession of Education « My Island View: Hypocrisy in the Profession of Education by tomwhitby Whenever I think of a teacher, I also think of a scholar. It has always been apparent to me that if one is to be an effective teacher, one must continually learn. Of course that is not always a path that individuals are able follow as a straight line. Often things, or situations get in the way over the course of a lifetime and many stray from that path for the sake of time, money, or most often family. I attended a retirement party recently for some retiring colleagues... more »

John Thompson: Honoring Deborah W. Meier Hero of Education Recipient Diane Ravitch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

John Thompson: Honoring Deborah W. Meier Hero of Education Recipient Diane Ravitch: Honoring Deborah W. Meier Hero of Education Recipient Diane Ravitch Returning from New York, where FairTest honored Diane Ravitch with the Deborah W. Meier Hero of Education Award, I was slow to recognize the best thing about the trip. It could have been the amiable banter between Meier and Ravitch about their differing accounts of their transformation from being policy opponents to friends and, ultimately, allies. Or, the best part of the ceremony might have been Ravitch and Meier introducing thei... more »

The Associated Press: Anger, frustration envelop Philadelphia schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

The Associated Press: Anger, frustration envelop Philadelphia schools: Anger, frustration envelop Philadelphia schools By KATHY MATHESON, Associated Press – 34 minutes ago PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The school system's chief recovery officer was trying to explain how broke the district is, but no one could hear him. "Save our schools! Save our schools!" More than 200 protesters had packed the Philadelphia school board meeting and were drowning out the official presentation; they also waved signs expressing "No confidence" in next year's austere budget. It was the second major demonstrati... more »

Felipe Ponce: Schools like East Side Union's that criminalize youth are a pipeline to prison - Inside Bay Area

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Felipe Ponce: Schools like East Side Union's that criminalize youth are a pipeline to prison - Inside Bay Area: Felipe Ponce: Schools like East Side Union's that criminalize youth are a pipeline to prison By Felipe Ponce Special to the Mercury News Posted: 06/12/2012 06:21:57 AM PDT In the wake of the Trayvon Martin tragedy, I decided to show my solidarity with his family by wearing my black hoodie and a black beanie cap to the English class I teach at a high school on the East Side of San Jose. The day was cold and windy, appropriate for such attire. As I walked into class, a ... more »

Geaux Teacher!: A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE VISION AND THE REALITY

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Geaux Teacher!: A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE VISION AND THE REALITY: A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE VISION AND THE REALITY by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) *I responded to an e-mail from President Obama's campaign committee espousing his position on education. I pointed out that educators nationwide are displeased and disappointed in the realities of recent policy decisions coming out of his Department of Education. I also asked for the opportunity to meet, along with my colleagues from Save Our Schools, with Pres. Obama while in Washington D.C. for the Save Our Schools Pe... more »

Mercenaries in the corporate reform propaganda war Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Mercenaries in the corporate reform propaganda war: Mercenaries in the corporate reform propaganda war by admin A *mercenary* is a person who takes part in an armed conflict, who is not a national or a party to the conflict, and is “motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of th... more »

Geaux Teacher!: THE CREATION OF WIDGETS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Geaux Teacher!: THE CREATION OF WIDGETS: THE CREATION OF WIDGETS by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) For non-teachers who read my post - two consortiums convened by governors from most, but not all, states have created two sets of Common Core Standards that are optionally adopted by the participating states (Louisiana adopted Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) http://www.louisianaschools.net/offices/publicaffairs/press_release.aspx?PR=1458 . The purpose was of course to STANDARDIZE teaching and learning (children). It was pred... more »

Geaux Teacher!: MAD MAGAZINE AND LOUISIANA'S VOUCHER PROGRAM

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Geaux Teacher!: MAD MAGAZINE AND LOUISIANA'S VOUCHER PROGRAM: MAD MAGAZINE AND LOUISIANA'S VOUCHER PROGRAM by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) This report was published on the Louisiana School Boards Association website Monday by Consultant Don Whittinghill. Superintendent John White and Governor Bobby Jindal consistently tell the public that educators support their disastrous education agenda. The media, for the most part, continue to parrot those lies. If you want to know what educators and, in this case, elected school board members who REPRESENT the public who e... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, June 12, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Tuesday, June 12, 2012* Students lament loss of electivesMuch of the news surrounding education funding involves teacher layoffs, but cuts at the state level are also being felt by students, who stand to lose electives and extracurricular activities that, some say, keep them interested in education. District could put 16 classrooms at Magnolia up for leaseUp to 16 classrooms at Magnolia Elementary School should be put up for lease as a way to boost revenue for the Carlsbad Unified School District, according to ... more »

Shanker Blog » The Education Reform Movement: Reset Or Redo?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Shanker Blog » The Education Reform Movement: Reset Or Redo?: The Education Reform Movement: Reset Or Redo? by Clifford B. Janey [image: Quality Control: Rejected Clip Art] *Our guest author today is Dr. Clifford B. Janey, former superintendent for the Newark Public Schools, District of Columbia Public Schools, and Rochester City School District. He is currently a Senior Weismann Fellow at the Bankstreet College of Education in New York City.* For too many students, families, and communities, the high school diploma represents either a dream deferred or a broken contract between c... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Contact Senator Murray Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Contact Senator Murray Today: Contact Senator Murray Today by Melissa Westbrook From our friends over at the Seattle Education blog, comes news from a column in the Huffington Post by Leonie Hamison, "*Will Our Federal Government Renounce Their Proposal to Increase Class Size*". *The Obama administration has proposed that in next year’s education budget, 25 percent of the funds to reduce class size or keep teachers on staff be diverted to a competitive grant program to create and expand “new pathways” to teaching — e.g. to help fund organizations ... more »

Oakland Parents and Teachers Are Sitting-in to Keep Neighborhood Schools Open! | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Oakland Parents and Teachers Are Sitting-in to Keep Neighborhood Schools Open! | Dailycensored.com: Oakland Parents and Teachers Are Sitting-in to Keep Neighborhood Schools Open! by Danny Weil *“Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail. What you gain at one end you lose at the other. It’s like feeding a dog on his own tail. It won’t fatten the dog.” ~ Mark Twain* *At the end of this school year, the Oakland Unified School District plans to close 5 public elementary schools and hand children’s school buildings over to private charter schools and district admi... more »

Technocratic Expansion of Education Data Systems Stirs Privacy Concerns - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Technocratic Expansion of Education Data Systems Stirs Privacy Concerns - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Technocratic Expansion of Education Data Systems Stirs Privacy Concerns by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody What will it mean for every one of the nation's 50 million students to have a unique ID number, and be included in a national database that tracks every test they ever take? And teachers will get ID numbers as well, so the database can track the test performance of our students over our entire careers. I have been exploring in recent weeks t... more »

Geaux Teacher!: REP. JOHN BEL EDWARDS EXPOSES FAILURES OF GOV. JINDAL'S LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Geaux Teacher!: REP. JOHN BEL EDWARDS EXPOSES FAILURES OF GOV. JINDAL'S LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE: REP. JOHN BEL EDWARDS EXPOSES FAILURES OF GOV. JINDAL'S LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) State Representative John Bel Edwards' Letter to the Editor of The Advocate http://theadvocate.com/news/opinion/3073305-123/letters-jindals-successes-werent *Letters: Jindal's 'successes' weren't* June 11, 2012 * Gov. Bobby Jindal can claim victory in the just completed legislative session but — thank goodness — the facts prove otherwise. As the session started, ... more »

Schools Matter: First Steps to End TFA's Federally Funded Corporate Welfare Program

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Schools Matter: First Steps to End TFA's Federally Funded Corporate Welfare Program: First Steps to End TFA's Federally Funded Corporate Welfare Program by Jim Horn With the help of Gates, ALEC, Broad, Waltons, etc., the Federal government is now engaged in a systematic attempt to use public resources to privatize or corporatize public education. From Dora Taylor in Seattle: Posted on June 12, 2012 by seattleducation2011 In 2009, Teach for America, Inc. (TFA, Inc.) had over $300M in net assets. In 2010, Wendy Kopp received a $50M grant from the government to send unqualified... more »

hctiB G: Who’s Right to Return? | The G Bitch Spot

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

hctiB G: Who’s Right to Return? | The G Bitch Spot: hctiB G: Who’s Right to Return? by G Bitch originally posted Jun 16, 2006 —— My mother grew up in what was the Magnolia housing projects Uptown. Back then, as in many ways recently, it was a place for poor people with children and elderly people living on pensions. Poor people who worked, older women who planted flowers and tomatoes and scolded children no matter who they belonged to, cooperative communities. After promising that all have “the right to return,” the federal government through HUD is now saying that there will not b... more »

Call to action: No more public funding for Teach for America, Inc.! | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Call to action: No more public funding for Teach for America, Inc.! | Seattle Education: Call to action: No more public funding for Teach for America, Inc.! by seattleducation2011 In 2009, Teach for America, Inc. (TFA, Inc.) had over $300M in net assets. In 2010, Wendy Kopp received a $50M grant from the government to send unqualified college recruits into the inner city schools to teach our most vulnerable. This money is on top of the fee that she charges a school district for each recruit that is hired. Now Ms. Kopp is shilling for more by lobbying our legislators to cut back ... more »

How Students First Recruits New Members « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

How Students First Recruits New Members « Diane Ravitch's blog: How Students First Recruits New Members by dianerav A friend told me she signed an online petition on Change.org for some cause to make the world a better place, and promptly received an email from Michelle Rhee of Students First thanking her for joining. She was astonished to discover that she was a member of Students First, because she never signed anything that identified the group. This is apparently standard practice for Rhee’s group, as demonstrated by this blog by a teacher who also found herself to be a “memb... more »

Okaloosa County School Board Adopts Resolution Against High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Okaloosa County School Board Adopts Resolution Against High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings: Okaloosa County School Board Adopts Resolution Against High-Stakes Testing by Bob Sikes From Katie Tammen in the *Northwest Florida Daily News*: The two-page resolution highlights some of the issues the board has seen with standardized testing and requests officials not only reevaluate exams such as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test but also the national No Child Left Behind law, which places a lot of emphasis on standardized tests. “This problem is everyone’s fault,” board ... more »

Shelby County commissioner questions link between Herenton's charter schools, Texas group » The Commercial Appeal

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Shelby County commissioner questions link between Herenton's charter schools, Texas group » The Commercial Appeal: [image: Memphis Commercial Appeal - Printer-friendly story] [image: Willie Herenton] Shelby County commissioner questions link between Herenton's charter schools, Texas group By Clay Bailey, Jane Roberts Tuesday, June 12, 2012 County Commissioner Terry Roland wants answers about whether a charter school group headed by former Memphis mayor Willie Herenton is linked to Harmony Public Schools -- a Texas-based group with a controversial past and questionable affiliation. ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Chicago prepares for possible strike

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Chicago prepares for possible strike: Chicago prepares for possible strike by Mike Klonsky Chicago teachers on strike in 1967Chicago hasn't had a teachers strike since 1987. But strikes were once a common occurrence here. The CTU led nine strikes from 1969 to 1987. In those days, parent and community anger was often directed at the striking teachers. As I remember it, back in '69 even lots of teachers wouldn't show up for for picket duty because they thought such actions were beneath their dignity. Times have changed. Yesterday's 90% strike authorizat... more »

Academic Fraud: Does Anyone Care? - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Academic Fraud: Does Anyone Care? - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Academic Fraud: Does Anyone Care? by Diane Ravitch Dear Deborah, Hundreds of millions of dollars in federal and state funds are now being spent to build so-called data warehouses to track students from their earliest years through postsecondary education. Standardized test scores are a key feature of the tracking systems, especially when they are attributed to individual teachers. In time, enthusiasts of the data-is-great school of thought believe we will have the information we need to identify "effective... more »

Parents protest surge in standardized testing | Reuters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Parents protest surge in standardized testing | Reuters Parents protest surge in standardized testing6:16am EDT By Stephanie Simon *Go to Parents Across America.* (Reuters) - A backlash against high-stakes standardized testing is sweeping through U.S. school districts as parents, teachers, and administrators protest that the exams are unfair, unreliable and unnecessarily punitive - and even some longtime advocates of testing call for changes. The objections come even as federal and state authorities pour hundreds of millions of dollars into developing new tests, including some for chi... more »

Recapturing Manhood for Young Men of Color [Stopping Stop-And-Frisk] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Recapturing Manhood for Young Men of Color [Stopping Stop-And-Frisk] | The Jose Vilson: Recapturing Manhood for Young Men of Color [Stopping Stop-And-Frisk] by Jose Popout On Saturday, NAACP President Benjamin Jealous spoke to the Netroots Nation crowd around one of the organization’s pivotal efforts: ending New York City’s stop-and-frisk policy [and preventing said policy from spreading to other major cities]. His impassioned speech made me tap my feet, blanking out to the sounds of an aggression unaddressed by the larger progressive communities. While he spoke, I noticed two halv... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Twinkle Teachers Demand Personal Happiness as Nuclear Power Goal in Classroom. Welcome to Whole Brain Teaching.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Twinkle Teachers Demand Personal Happiness as Nuclear Power Goal in Classroom. Welcome to Whole Brain Teaching.: Twinkle Teachers Demand Personal Happiness as Nuclear Power Goal in Classroom. Welcome to Whole Brain Teaching. by stlgretchen Hand gestures and the "ten-fingered whoohoo" imperative in Whole Brain Teaching.* * *Is the goal of education to make your "dear teacher happy"?* This is a "nuclear" goal if your school district using "Whole Brain Teaching". Several Missouri districts are using this method focusing on making students more engaged in... more »

Daily Kos: On this day in 1967

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Daily Kos: On this day in 1967: On this day in 1967 by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) a unanimous Supreme Court issued its opinion in Loving v Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967). The case was argued April 10, with the Court quickly reaching its decision. Mildred Jeter was Black, Robert Loving was White. They met in Virginia, married in the District of Columbia because interracial marriage was illegal in Virginia, then returned to Virginia to live. They were charged by a grand jury with having violated Virginia's law, entered a guilty plea and and were sentenced to one year in jail; howe... more »

Will Congress compound its error on ‘highly qualified’ teachers? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Will Congress compound its error on ‘highly qualified’ teachers? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] UVA board: Tell us why you pushed out president Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 54 minutes ago The University of Virginia’s governing board sesems to have gone out of its way to avoid explaining directly to the public why it pushed out the popular President Teresa Sullivan after only two years. It’s time it says exactly what happened. Now. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to St... more »

CHICAGO TEACHERS NOT EASILY FOOLED « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

CHICAGO TEACHERS NOT EASILY FOOLED « Teachers Fight Back: CHICAGO TEACHERS NOT EASILY FOOLED by alkleen It’s certainly no surprise that the Chicago Teachers’ Union voted to authorize a strike by an overwhelming 90% vote. Most of the Chicago teachers that I know have never bought into the whole “teacher and school reform” nonsense. They know poor student achievement isn’t their fault just as they know their union doesn’t hinder anyone from achieving in school. They have refused to be bullied by the big moneyed interests that saw an opportunity to break teacher unions by portraying ... more »

solidaridad: Schools Matter: Evaluate This! Shows the way forward for authentic education reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

solidaridad: Schools Matter: Evaluate This! Shows the way forward for authentic education reform: Schools Matter: Evaluate This! Shows the way forward for authentic education reform by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene *"I am heading for a four-year college. The classes that most helped me prepare for this were NOT test prep classes. They were the ones where I got to explore stuff and do projects." — Tiffany Tuggle (CEJ Member and Senior at UCLA Community School)* [image: Esperanza Elementary School first grade garden project at Evaluate This!]I finally got around to my write up on an i... more »

Whitney Tilson Makes a Fool Of Himself Yet Again http://www.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Whitney Tilson Makes a Fool Of Himself Yet Again by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) I'm late to the game and didn't catch all of what Alexander Russo wrote about Violet Nichols, but I sure read what Whitney Tilson had written in response. As usual Whitney, the Harvard grad has no idea how to write or think critically. I feel like I am chasing a windmill every time I write about this asinine hedge fund manager that is Whitney. He is just so in love with his voice and his perturbed thoughts through his mangles thought process that I don;t know wh... more »

Schools Matter: Fight Club Fantasies of the Corporate Education Deformers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Schools Matter: Fight Club Fantasies of the Corporate Education Deformers: Fight Club Fantasies of the Corporate Education Deformers by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene [image: Dr. John Thompson was an award-winning historian, lobbyist, and guerilla-gardener who became an award-winning inner city teacher after crack and gangs hit his neighborhood.]By John Thompson Political scientist Patrick McGuinn wrote a sympathetic account of education reform advocacy organizations (ERAOs) that gather in Washington, D.C. The ERAOs, "compare notes and plot strategy in what is (half in jest) referred ... more »

Explaining the Failed Recall to My Preteen | One Teacher's Perspective

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Explaining the Failed Recall to My Preteen | One Teacher's Perspective: Explaining the Failed Recall to My Preteen by Imagine Wisconsin Paid for by millionaires and billionaires My perceptive and compassionate preteen daughter asked me in the wake of the failed recall of Governor Walker, “Why can’t it be like in the movies where the good guys always win?” This was essentially my reply to her poignant question. “Well, dear, unlike in the feel-good movies you watch—where the grassroots efforts of the hard working, less powerful always triumph for a happy ending—in real-life Wiscons... more »

Last Stand for Children First: CPS Mommy Urges Teachers Not to Strike

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Last Stand for Children First: CPS Mommy Urges Teachers Not to Strike: CPS Mommy Urges Teachers Not to Strike by Last Stand for Children Today, the Chicago Teachers Union announced that in their strike authorization vote, 98% of the teachers voting and 2% voted against. This number is out of about 91% of the teachers voting. You know who else used to get vote results like this? Sadam Hussein. I'm just saying, it wasn't until he was overthrown that we learned that the people in Iraq weren't really 100% behind Hussein either. This strike vote is clearly against the spirit of SB... more »

LAUSD, UTLA - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

LAUSD, UTLA - Perdaily.com: UTLA/LAUSD Tentative Agreement: WHY WE'RE VOTING NO By Area Chairs Aaron Bruhnke, Jose Lara, Dan Barnhart, and Gillian Russom by Leonard Isenberg [image: UTLA IMAGE.jpeg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* *(Perdaily salutes the intelligence of the teachers who wrote this - take heed or continue to suffer the consequences)* *We cannot support this Tentative Agreement, because doing so would mean endorsing a process that accepts huge concessions without an organized fight, and fee... more »

THE INSPIRATION OF GREAT TEACHERS « City School Stories

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

THE INSPIRATION OF GREAT TEACHERS « City School Stories: THE INSPIRATION OF GREAT TEACHERS by fmurphy Notes from the Field Submitted on June 11, 2012 by Frank Murphy Almost everyday, some bad news story concerning the School District of Philadelphia seems to be in the newspaper. Budget shortfalls, school closures and employee layoffs are commonplace events. The education of our city’s children has become a political football. It seems that nearly every person with some kind of power or title in our city and state wants to give a good kick to Philadelphia’s schools. Everyone thes...more »

Hired Guns on Astroturf: How to Buy and Sell School Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Dissent Magazine - Spring 2012 Issue - Hired Guns on Astrotur...: Hired Guns on Astroturf: How to Buy and Sell School Reform By Joanne Barkan *For Barkan’s other writing on the self-proclaimed “education reform movement,” clickhere, here, and here.* If you want to change government policy, change the politicians who make it. The implications of this truism have now taken hold in the market-modeled “education reform movement.” As a result, the private funders and nonprofit groups that run the movement have overhauled their strategy. They’ve gone political as never before—like the Na... more »

 

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-9-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-2-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

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Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-2-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

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